May 16, 2018

Emmanuel College celebrated its 96th Commencement Exercises on Saturday, May 12th, adding nearly 500 undergraduate and graduate students to the global network of Emmanuel alumni who are making their mark on the world.

Nationally-recognized sports journalist, author and television broadcaster Jackie MacMullan delivered the Commencement address and received an honorary degree. The College also conferred honorary degrees on Charles F. Monahan Jr., president of MCPHS University, and Sister Mary Alice McCabe, SNDdeN, who has dedicated her life to serving others in Brazil and Nicaragua. While touching on current issues such as the #MeToo movement and immigration, speakers delivered messages of courage and determination in the face of adversity.

"Let Emmanuel College be your moon"

Marie O'Neil, a double major in Psychology—Counseling & Health and Writing, Editing & Publishing, spoke of the moth's evolutionary inclination to use moonlight to orient themselves and navigate during nighttime flight. In dark times, O'Neil told her classmates, "let Emmanuel College be your moon."

Caitlin McCarty 'G18, the student speaker for the College's Graduate & Professional Programs spoke of the support she and her classmates received, noting "now it's time for us to build our futures." McCarty earned her Master of Science in Management with a specialization in research administration, which will aid her in her role as the finance manager for the department of neurology research at Brigham & Women's Hospital.

"We have received much more than we have given"

The College bestowed honorary degrees on longtime MCPHS University president Charles F. Monahan, Jr., and educator and missionary Sister Mary Alice McCabe, SNDdeN.

Monahan, a 1962 graduate of MCPHS University, owned and operated six pharmacies in his hometown of Worcester, MA, before returning to the Fenway to serve as the University's president in 1997. Under Monahan's leadership, enrollment has more than tripled, programs have grown in number and caliber, and the University's campus has expanded to Worcester and Manchester, NH.

"With your vision and tireless commitment, you have empowered ever-greater numbers of students to launch successful careers in healthcare—and to serve others with integrity, compassion and professionalism," Sr. Janet said. "Moreover, you have enriched learning experiences for students at Emmanuel and other Colleges of the Fenway, while strengthening cooperation among all of the prestigious medical, academic, scientific and cultural institutions that surround us."

Inspired by the teachings of the Second Vatican Council, Sr. Mary Alice, a graduate of Emmanuel College, answered the call to serve as a missionary in the coastal region of Maceió in northeastern Brazil. There, she helped poor communities fight for their basic rights to land, education and healthcare.

The College honored Sr. Mary Alice for her "unwavering will to uplift those living on the margins of our global society." Gathering farming and fishing families into base Christian communities, she and other Sisters accompanied them as they struggled to free themselves from oppressive and violent landowners.

Addressing the graduates, Sr. Mary Alice spoke of the unbreakable spirit of the people of Latin America. How, equipped with faith and courage, they built a community of faith and action—organizing themselves into grassroots organizations, agricultural cooperatives, women artisan groups, Bible study groups and more.

"It has been a great grace to walk with the people of Latin America," she said, asking attendees to not forget for the thousands of refugees and immigrants who are still on a journey to find a better life.

The Sisters of Notre Dame have a long history in the region, ministering to communities in Brazil, Nicaragua, Peru and other countries. "As all of us like to say, 'We have received much more than we have given,''' said Sr. Mary Alice.

"There's one great thing about getting older—courage comes with it"

The College also awarded an honorary doctor of humane letters to its Commencement speaker, sports journalist and author Jackie MacMullan, for her commitment to excellence in journalism and to using sport as a platform for transforming the lives of others.

"To countless women rising in male-dominated fields, you have provided an example of determination and grace," her citation read. "To all of us you have given the enduring gift of your words—descriptions of people and moments that lift off the page; investigative reporting that pulses with intelligence and verve; and writing that expresses a profound love of sport and its power to move us and change our world for the better."

MacMullan's investigative reporting skills were evident from the start of her address, when she listed some Emmanuel "lasts" the graduates recently experienced—the last tater tot at Moonlight Breakfast, the last Emmanuel College Dance Marathon, and the last time to watch women's head basketball coach Andy Yosinoff go crazy on the sidelines when a referee made a bad call.

Leaving college, MacMullan said, she thought she knew exactly what she wanted. To be a sportswriter. To be famous. To be rich. She had a list of boxes to check off.

"But your life is going to evolve, and your dreams are going to evolve right along with it," she said.

She spoke candidly of being a woman in a predominately-male profession. Early on, her name gave her a few passes. "Jackie Mac," she said. "People thought I might be an Irish Catholic guy from Southie instead of a Protestant woman from Long Island."

MacMullan relayed the story of the first time she met the legendary Boston Celtics coach and executive Red Auerbach. It was 1983, and she was 22 years old and two months into her full-time writing gig at the Boston Globe. While covering a Boston College game at the old Boston Garden, Auerbach sat in the chair next to her and asked her, at halftime, what she thought. She offered her opinion on the game, but was quickly interrupted. "I meant the girls," he said. "Aren't you the cheerleading coach?"

But most of her interactions with men in the field weren't so humorous. Often she found she was the lone female in a men's locker room—and that she wasn't welcome. Former New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor even went as far as throwing at hair dryer at her. Though she was living her dream, she sometimes wondered if the struggle was worth it. She was determined to build her credibility, one story at a time—but in the years before #MeToo, she still wonders if she should have spoken up about the harassment she endured.

"There's one great thing about getting older," she said of her presence in the industry now. "Courage comes with it."

In 35 years, MacMullan said, she's been to six continents and 48 states. Swam in Shaq's pool. Driven a four-wheeler on Larry Bird's ranch. Swung a bat with Big Papi in the Red Sox dugout. She was there when the ball went through Bill Bucker's legs at the 1986 World Series. When the Patriots won the 2002 Super Bowl. When the Red Sox finally broke the curse in 2004.

"I checked off a lot of boxes," she said. "But then there were new boxes. We're talking about evolution, right?"

Speaking of her own involvement in Rwanda with Shooting Touch, an international sport-for-development organization that uses the power of sport to educate and empower at-risk youth, women and their communities to live healthier lives,she commended Emmanuel College students for their commitment to service.

"Don't forget about that base foundation of community service," she said. "I wish I'd popped my head up a little sooner."

MacMullan encouraged graduates to marvel at their depth of their own imagination, to ask questions, to start conversations, and not to stress if they did not already have their own list of boxes to check off.

"Those detours are going to be the most important part of your journey."

Jackie MacMullan addresses the Class of 2018

Gallery: 2018 Commencement Events

Explore Emmanuel

With the release of its 2018 rankings of the top U.S. nursing schools, Nursing Schools Almanac placed Emmanuel College among the top nursing schools in New England. Of the 3,000 institutions assessed by Nursing Schools Almanac's research team, only 15% made the list of top schools in each geographic region.

In a city known for innovation in healthcare, opportunities for Emmanuel students are bolstered by our location within the world-renowned Longwood Medical and Academic Area (LMA). With walking-distance access to cutting-edge scientific and medical institutions, ours is a neighborhood that stands hand-in-hand with the future.

History and secondary ed major Michael Rainha left Emmanuel prepared to succeed in a classroom of his own thanks to dedicated professors, supportive peers and a career-solidifying practicum at North Quincy High School.

Through the Colleges of the Fenway (COF) consortium, students share the best of both worlds: continuing to study and live in a small-college setting while enjoying the resources of a larger academic environment.

As early as her second year at Emmanuel College, Jolie Erlacher '19 discovered the power of networking, seeing firsthand how the connections she has made at Emmanuel-and then beyond-have affected the course of her academic and career trajectory, each opportunity opening a door to the next.

Dr. Rebecca Moryl is an Associate Professor of Economics at Emmanuel College. Professor Moryl teaches on subjects including microeconomics, economic relations, the politics of international economic relations and urban economics. She believes that understanding economics is critical to understanding the worlds-big and small-in which we live.

Professor Aren Gerdon is the Chair of the Department of Chemistry and Physics and an Associate Professor of Chemistry at Emmanuel College. He leads his own chemistry research group, focusing on biomaterials, and works closely with other research groups across campus. Professor Gerdon is passionate about sharing his deep knowledge of chemistry with his students, guiding them from class work to practical, real-world lab experiments.

Petros Vamvakas is an Associate Professor of Political Science and Chair of the Latin American Studies, Middle East Studies and Peace Studies Programs. His work focuses on security and democratization, as well as issues related to identity and race in politics throughout the Americas. As part of his teaching, he has escorted groups of students to Crete, Greece, and will be bringing a group of students to Cuba.